Getting started with Google+

If you already use Google, making the jump to Google+ is surprisingly easy.

In several subtle ways, you probably are using parts of Google+ already. Your Google+ profile goes a lot of places. It ties into the Google Play store, putting a name and face to your +1s, ratings, and reviews. It ties into YouTube, tying together your comments and allowing you to reply to subsequent comments more easily from the notifications count that appears on most Google websites. Your Google+ profile photo may well already be in the top corner of your quick settings screen on your Android devices. If you're sending emails to Inbox users, your Google+ profile photo even shows up on your emails. So even if you're not going to be hanging out in your stream or the plentiful beta communities all day every day, you should at least set it up and put your smiling mug up in place of that little blue silhouette picture.

Does the switch to Daylight Saving Time mean I have to do stuff to my Android?

Let's do the timewarp again ...

The yearly springing forward of time for much of the US is upon us, and this inevitably leads to folks new to the platform wondering what they have to do to their Android so things work right after the switch. If this sounds like you, we've got good news:

How to take a screenshot on the HTC One M9

There are a couple of easy ways to capture what's on your M9's screen

There are a bunch of reasons why you might want to capture what's on your HTC One M9's's screen and keep it for posterity. Maybe you want to show off a cool app, quickly share something with a friend, or make a quick copy of some important information. Whatever the case, there are a couple of ways to take a screenshot on the HTC One M9, and for the most part everything works just as it does on earlier phones like the M8.

So if you've used an HTC phone before you'll probably be right at home. But if you're new to Android or HTC, or just want to reacquaint yourself with the basics, we've got a quick guide to taking screenshots on the HTC One M9 after the break.

How to take a screenshot on the Samsung Galaxy S6

These two shortcuts let you easily take a screenshot on your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge

Just like earlier Samsung phones, taking a screenshot on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge is simple enough once you know how. So if you're upgrading to Samsung's 2015 flagship from a previous Galaxy phone, chances are you'll be right at home — taking a screenshot works just as it does on the GS5 and earlier handsets.

But if you're new to Samsung or Android in general, it's worth recapping this basic function, as there are countless situations where capturing an image of your phone's screen can be useful.

How to use your Android to prepare for severe weather

Blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, even haboobs can turn a regular day into a disaster, and if you're not prepared, it can turn from disastrous to downright dangerous. While you're stocking up the liquor cabinet, boarding up the windows, and collecting the games/movies from around the house to keep any little ones happy and distracted, don't forget to prepare your phone for the rough road to come. There's a lot more to preparing your phone for severe weather than just charging it up.

How to get weather information without downloading an app

Weather is important, but sometimes you don't need a full two week forecast with barometric pressure and the exact phase of the lunar cycle. Sometimes, you just need to know if it's warm or chilly outside. Sometimes, you want to know the weather, but you just don't have your hands free.

How to disable encryption in Android Lollipop

Encrypting your smartphone or tablet is a great way to add a passive layer of security to your device, something that doesn't require a lot of work on your end and could actually protect your data if your device is stolen or you've somehow managed to become a target of some kind. It's far from an impenetrable shield in terms of security, but as long as its not getting in your way there's certainly no harm in having the protection, right?

Truth is, sometimes Full Disk Encryption can get in the way. Performance hits, especially when combined with the workload some power users (you know who you are) put on their devices, can be too much to deal with. The good news is it's pretty easy to turn off encryption on most devices, even the new encryption offered in Android 5.0. In most cases all you really need is 20 minutes near an outlet and some know how. In other cases, most notably the Nexus 6, things get a little stickier.

What is full disk encryption in Android Lollipop?

Keeping your bits and bytes as safe as possible through encryption is a complicated affair.

There's a lot of information out there about Android 5.0 Lollipop's "default" full disk encryption (FDE). Some of it is good information, some of it is bad information, and plenty of it is just repeated snippets of speculation. While this makes for good conversation — and FDE is something worth talking about — we wanted to break down the finer points into an easy-to-read discussion.

This isn't meant to be the be-all end-all document on Android encryption. Google has already posted that one. We're going to tackle the consumer-oriented questions we keep hearing. As always, use the comments for discussion so we all can learn a little something.

How to use Google Maps Street View on your phone or tablet

Sometimes you need to get up close and personal with your maps — Street View has you covered.

While most people have played around with Street View for some fun exploring on the web, the full suite of Street View imagery is also available on your phone or tablet in the Google Maps app. Of course viewing Street View on a smaller screen isn't ideal, but it's quite amazing to have so much power in the palm of your hand — and the additional sensors available in your phone and tablet offer at least one feature you can't get on your desktop. Let's explore what Street View is all about.

How to clear search and location history in Google Maps on the web

It takes some time, but you can completely control the location history Google collects from your devices.

We've already covered how to remove individual locations and history items from Google Maps on Android, but when you need to access and manage all of your location history, you need to hop onto the computer. As the old saying goes, "knowledge is power" — and we're going to give you all of the tools necessary to know what information Google knows about your location, and how to clean it up or stop further reporting.

How to clear search and location history in Google Maps on Android

We all search for plenty of wacky and one-time things in Google Maps, and despite what Google thinks we don't always want that sitting in our history forever.

There are also plenty of times when we navigate somewhere that we'll never go back to, and there's no reason to have it saved in the app's history. Though the real power to wipe this all out from your account lies on the web, you can quickly remove specific searches and locations that you've recently navigated to right from your Maps app. Let us show you how to do it.

Finding your way around with Google Maps on Android

Google Maps isn't just for browsing around and looking up restaurants, it's also an incredibly powerful navigation tool.

When you need to get from A to B (to C and D) with reliable step-by-step directions, it's usually a good choice to go with the Google Maps app on your phone. Whether you're driving, walking, biking or riding public transit, Google Maps pulls in a wealth of information to get you there safely and quickly, provided you know the right buttons to tap and settings to check.

Now that we've gone over the basics of Maps, we're ready to get into the navigation side of things. If you're ready to master Google Maps navigation, we're ready to help you do it — read along with us.

How to use 'Glance' on the LG G Flex 2

Back in 2013, LG introduced KnockOn, the ability to double-tap on the G2's screen to unlock it. The next year, the company followed up with KnockCode, a more secure version which allowed owners of the LG G Pro 2, G3 and others to secure their devices using a pattern of taps.

This year, starting with the LG G Flex 2, the Korean company's trying something a bit different. "Glance" is a feature of the G Flex 2 that gives you a small preview of what's going on on your device, without having to turn it on.

How to share directions in Google Maps for Android

You've always been able to share a specific location, or even your own location, on Google Maps — but as of version 9.3 of the app you can now share point to point directions.

The process is extremely simple, and gives you step-by-step text directions that can be read by anyone on any device, whether they use Google Maps or not. And though most folks with smartphones sharing location information to another smartphone user will be better off sharing a proper Maps location, this is how you can share basic directions — read along.

Ask AC: Can I use my phone just on Wifi without a carrier?

This question just popped up in our Galaxy Note 4 forums, but it's one that we've seen related to other phones before as well.

We're all so used to buying a phone with intentions of using it on a carrier that we often don't consider what it will operate like without a SIM in it. Rest assured that your phone will operate just fine without active service from a carrier, leaving it as a Wifi-only device.